Shane Graham

Did you miss the BIG news in Texas last week? After nearly 20 years of rigid, outdated rules, SB 1332 has officially replaced SB 51, easing a major administrative burden for fully insured medical plans in Texas. 🔹 What changed? Employers are no longer automatically on the hook for a full month of premiums if they miss a 3-day termination window—as long as no claims were made. 🔹 Why it matters: This update reflects how far we've come with tech and EDI systems, and finally aligns policy with real-world operations. 👏 Huge thanks to NABIP Texas and our state legislators for making this long-overdue fix happen! #ComplianceMatters, Higginbotham, Ross Carmichael - JD, CEBS

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𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 Texas business owners operating a fleet of vehicles (of any size) continues to face a very hard insurance market. For my next few posts, I’m going to go over why this is happening, some best practices to best offset what you can and alternative options for some. For several of my clients, we’ve watched small auto incidents escalate into $500,000 reserves, driven almost entirely by litigation costs rather than actual vehicle damage. 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝘂𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘀!! 𝗔𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲: Look at the billboards all over town and across the state, TV ads and litigation financing. Juries are being swayed by appealing to fear for community safety rather than just the facts.   𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀: Between 2009–2023, Texas saw 207 nuclear verdicts totaling $45B, the highest in the U.S. That’s $12B more than the next closest state.   𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀: One $20M jury award can wipe out years of premium collected for a fleet account. Many insurers have left the state or no longer offer auto liability coverage like they once did. The remaining Insurers price this risk into everyone’s policies, not just the companies hit with big verdicts.   It looks like legislation reform will be needed, similar to what Workers Compensation coverage needed many years ago. But that effort is over 18 months away, so what to do in the meantime. Watch for my next post and reflect on your situation and hopefully what I can share will be helpful for you. Ben Westcott Jason Lee Chad Burke Rusty Barnhill Sam Craig, II Darlene East Miguel A. Ramos Economic Alliance Houston Port Region Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Houston

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🔎2025 Employee Health Benefits & 2026 Outlook Dallas, TX | 100+ Employees | Employer-Sponsored Healthcare Plans 2025 Highlights ❤️‍🩹Average premiums: $9,325 for singles and $26,993 for families; employees chip in about $6,850. ❤️‍🩹Main cost drivers: GLP1 drugs, behavioral health services, telehealth options, and rising medical costs. ❤️‍🩹Plan mix: PPOs make up the majority at 81%, while HDHPs with HSAs are on the rise. ✈️Dallas Market: Local costs are being pushed up due to provider consolidations. 2026 Outlook - ⚕️Anticipated health benefit costs could jump by +6.5%—the steepest increase in 15 years (according to Mercer). ⚕️Be ready for higher premiums, deductibles, and employee cost-sharing. ⚕️Employers are focusing on managing expenses: shifting to HDHPs, enhancing utilization management, and boosting virtual care offerings. ⚕️Coverage for GLP1 and specialty drugs is set to expand but often with tighter restrictions. Recommended Actions - ✅Run scenarios predicting a 5–8% cost increase and how that impacts employee contributions. ✅Audit prescription drug exposure (GLP1 and specialty meds) and work closely with your PBM. ✅Increase telehealth and behavioral health services. ✅Check HSA/HRA contributions to stay competitive. ✅Make sure to communicate any plan changes clearly ahead of open enrollment. If you haven’t connected with our #Dallas INSURICA team yet, let’s chat! We specialize in helping companies enhance their benefits delivery for employees, support HR leaders with workflow management of benefit programs, and discover innovative ways to cut overall company costs. Sarah Bahlman, APEB | 469.833.6424

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Kevin Stitt, the Governor of Oklahoma, released a new Executive Order focusing on Medicare Advantage. I have not seen any state level EO's on MA in the past five years that I have been watching and this one is very interesting. It seems certain that the MA carriers will challenge the EO in court because of some of the things it is trying to mandate, not sure that the brokers will challenge it, but it does have some teeth for them too. Most interesting/relevant from my view are: 1. "Where the MA plan and provider are unable to reach a mutually agreeable contractual agreement, the provider shall be deemed “out of network,” and the reimbursement rate shall default to 100% of the CMS Medicare fee schedule" I believe this is out of line of current practice from most MA plans 2. "MA plans shall not use or pay commissions to licensed Medicare brokers to sell their MA plans for the following Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) if over 30% of new MA enrollees by the Medicare broker disenroll in the newly enrolled MA plan within 90 days after the previous AEP concludes" Lots of details will need fleshing out. Does this flow to brokerage or just broker, how are LOA handled, how is OEP handled etc... 3. "MA plans shall not deny or delay payment for services that are covered under traditional Medicare on the basis of “medical necessity” when adequate documentation has been provided to the MA plan" 4. "Effective January 22, 2026, MA plans shall not impose new prior authorization requirements, medical necessity requirements, clinical criteria, patient placement or status service criteria or definitions, or any other provisions deemed more restrictive than traditional Medicare" The way this is worded, I don't see how it doesn't get challenged by MA carriers He gave OID and OHCA 90 days to come up with rules and guidance and 120 days to issue a written report detailing implementation progress, enforcement actions, and provider impact. Although most of the state action on MA plans this past open enrollment came from the Departments of Insurance, I expect to see more State based activity from Governors and legislatures. Link to the EO in the comments

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Race to the Bottom vs Real Service If the negotiation starts and ends with “reduce your commission,” the outcome is predictable: less room for training, incentives, and better salaries. Great service is built on skilled people, tight processes, and accountability. All of that is margin funded. Choosing a broker purely on price can feel efficient in the short term. Over time, it removes the very capacity that delivers outcomes when it matters.

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If your PEO renewal is approaching, don’t treat it as routine. Large, bundled PEO renewals create a false sense of inevitability. Service “remains consistent.” Medical increases are explained as trend. SUTA recalculates quietly. Workers’ compensation rolls forward. Administration fees stay blended into the invoice. Nothing feels urgent. That’s the risk. Before any renewal is signed, five areas should be pressure-tested: → Service model drift → Medical renewal strategy → SUTA wage-base exposure and rate creep → Workers’ comp class and MOD positioning → True administration cost unbundled Most teams review the percentage increase. Few review the architecture underneath it. Bundled models create opacity. Opacity protects continuity. Governance requires visibility. Renewal is administrative. Alignment is structural.

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If someone asks if sales is hard, just show them this video. Farley & Sandler say it best. ..... Though difficult, sales is extremely rewarding. Don't take it or life too seriously... Have fun! Here's what you need to be successful: Keep your full pipeline. Find a great mentor. Follow their advice. Treat people with respect. Serve them well. Work hard. What would you add to this list? Who is your favorite SNL actor of all time? Farley, Sandler, Will Ferrell, Bill Murray, Kristen Wiig, Eddie Murphy, Andy Samberg → I can't pick just one. ***** Follow + 🔔 for positive, encouraging content ♻️ repost if this made you laugh

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When Carriers Fail, Clients Pay the Price... New Century Insurance Company has been declared insolvent, and as of October 3, 2025, all active policies will be cancelled. For policyholders, the Texas Property & Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association (TPCIGA) will step in to cover certain claims, subject to statutory limits. But navigating receivership can be confusing, stressful, and time-sensitive—especially if coverage is needed to remain in place without interruption. If you or your clients hold coverage with New Century, immediate action is critical to avoid gaps in protection. At Hotaling Insurance Services, we specialize in navigating carrier failures—securing replacement coverage quickly and seamlessly. Don’t wait until October. Read more here: [https://lnkd.in/gbmpPZzN]

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Higginbotham has acquired Lubbock, Texas-based Stephens Insurance Services, a benefits specialist. The collaboration pairs on-the-ground relationships with added resources to enhance combined service offerings across West Texas and into eastern New Mexico, Higginbotham said. https://champ.ly/YnFBVPSk

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Many contractors overlook one of their most powerful assets: a well-established circle of influence in construction bonding.🤝 For those looking to grow sustainably and build a resilient, multi-generational business, cultivating this network of trusted advisors—such as surety brokers, Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs), construction attorneys, and experienced mentors—is essential. In construction, a strong network can be just as valuable as any tool at your disposal. Build it wisely, and your business will reap the rewards for generations to come! 💪🏗️ #Construction #BusinessSuccess #SuretyBonding #ProfessionalNetwork #Mentorship #FinancialClarity #LegalProtection #Surety #Bonding #FerrariInsurance #FerrariandAssocaites #Contractors

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Why Houston, Dallas, and Miami are the hottest markets for insurance talent in 2025 Insurance hiring isn’t slowing down in these cities — it’s heating up. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, insurance carrier employment has grown faster in Texas and Florida than almost anywhere else in the country this year. Dallas–Fort Worth alone added more than 3,200 insurance jobs in the last 12 months, while Houston remains the energy risk capital where demand for commercial account managers keeps climbing. And Miami? With Florida leading the nation in premium volume growth, firms there are fighting harder than ever for producers who can manage catastrophe-exposed property and health accounts. The common thread: - Population growth fueling new premiums. - Expanding commercial sectors (energy in Houston, corporate relocations in Dallas, construction/healthcare in Miami). - A shortage of mid-level account managers to keep up with client demand. Where are you seeing the biggest insurance hiring pressure right now?

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“It’s a NNN property. We make our tenants handle the insurance and send us a certificate.” That’s a direct quote from a partner in a large, well-established investor group in Dallas. This is probably the biggest mistake NNN operators make with their insurance. Triple-net (NNN) properties are a favorite among investors for a reason: predictable income, fewer landlord responsibilities, and long-term tenants. On paper, it feels almost hands-off. Taxes? Tenant pays. Maintenance? Tenant pays. Insurance? Tenant pays. Perfect, right? Not so fast. According to National Real Estate Investor, one of the most common mistakes property owners make is assuming tenant insurance provides the same protection as a well-structured owner’s policy. It doesn’t. And when disaster strikes, that false sense of security can cost you millions. I’m dropping a video and blog post next week talking about the four reasons why outsourcing the insurance for your NNN property is a terrible idea.

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